1. Field of the Invention
The present invention provides improvements in buoys especially buoys useful for lobster fishing, of the general type described in our U.S. Pat. No. 4,778,422 which issued Oct. 18, 1988. In this prior patent, a buoy was provided having a casing with two side portions connected together and with a reel rotatably mounted between the side portions and carrying a length of line connectable at its outer end to a lobster pot or other article, so that the line could be entirely contained within the buoy until the lobster pot or other article was deployed. Stowage of the line in this way prevented entanglements which were a common problem with the simple buoys and coils of line previously used in lobster fishing.
2. Prior Art
One feature of the buoy described in the aforesaid patent was that a central portion of one end of the reel was accessible through an aperture in the adjacent casing side portion, and this end of the reel shaft had a non-circular configuration adapted to be engaged by winding means such as a handle. The handle was removable when not in use. Another feature of this prior buoy was that the line was connected to the reel by a swivel link rotatable within a transverse bore in the reel so that when the line was fully paid out from the reel the buoy was free to rotate without causing entanglements.
Although it has been useful, the buoy of U.S. Pat. No. 4,778,422 did not prove sufficiently sturdy to be acceptable to all lobster fishermen; it could be broken by rough usage. Also, it was relatively expensive to manufacture. The present invention provides an improved buoy which overcomes these shortcomings of the previous design of buoy.